This application requests 5 years of support for a Research Symposium in Clinical Aphasiology, to be held within the annual Clinical Aphasiology Conference (CAC). Aphasiology is the study of "aphasia," a potentially-devastating difficulty with understanding and producing language that results from brain damage. The CAC is the only scientific meeting dedicated to research with clear implications for clinical assessment and treatment of aphasia and related disorders. About 100 participants attend CAC each year, each earning an invitation by submitting an abstract of a completed research project. Participants include speech-language pathologists, linguists, psycholinguists, and neurologists who represent the world's foremost investigators of clinically- relevant issues. The goals of the Research Symposium are to contribute to: (1) the vitality of ongoing research in clinical aphasiology, via a coordinated set of keynote and topically-related platform presentations and commentary;and (2) the development of new investigators, particularly students from traditionally underrepresented minority/ethnic groups. The bulk of the proposed budget is to support travel expenses for 15 student fellows. These student fellows will receive practice in presenting and discussing their own research, and will participate in several specially designed mentoring opportunities. The 2011 CAC (and Research Symposium) is scheduled for May 31 - June 4 in Fort Lauderdale, FL. Invited speakers will present their most current work on the topic of "Primary progressive aphasia," a relatively rare form of aphasia that degenerates over time. The 2012 meeting will be held on approximately the same dates in Lake Tahoe, California, with a potential topic of "Innovative methods of language investigation and treatment." Potential topics for subsequent years include "Treatment and pharmacological intervention," "Blast Injury/traumatic brain injury," "Effects of intensive treatment delivery," and "Genetics and recovery." PUBLIC HEALTH RELEVANCE: This continuation application requests support for 5 additional years, for a package of elements that constitutes a "Research Symposium" within the annual Clinical Aphasiology Conference (CAC). The CAC is the only scientific meeting dedicated to research with clear implications for the clinical management of aphasia and related disorders. The goals of the proposed Research Symposium are twofold. The first is to contribute to the vitality of ongoing research in clinical aphasiology. A coordinated set of keynote and topically-related platform presentations and commentary has been designed to engage attendees in the most current theory, perspectives, data, and debate on topics of relevance to contemporary research and practice. The second goal is to contribute to the development of new investigators, particularly students from traditionally underrepresented minority/ethnic groups. The bulk of the proposed budget is to support travel expenses for 15 student fellows. For the student fellows, the Research Symposium will supplement cutting-edge topic knowledge with practice in presenting and discussing their own research, and with other specially-designed mentoring opportunities. The 2011 CAC (and Research Symposium) is scheduled for May 31 - June 4 in Fort Lauderdale, Fl. Invited speakers will present their most current work on the topic of "Primary progressive aphasia." The 2012 meeting will be held on approximately the same dates in Lake Tahoe, California, with a potential topic of "Innovative methods of language investigation and treatment." Potential topics for subsequent years include "Treatment and pharmacological intervention," "Blast Injury/traumatic brain injury," "Effects of intensive treatment delivery," and "Genetics and recovery." About 100 participants attend CAC each year, each earning an invitation by submitting an abstract of a completed research project. Participants include speech-language pathologists, linguists, psycholinguists, and neurologists who represent the world's foremost investigators of clinically-relevant issues in aphasia and related disorders.